Portugal: Entrudo Chocalheiro, Caretos de Podence

There are traditions we must preserve, right? The ancient Carnival in the village of Podence, northern Portugal, is one of them.

First, you need to understand what the hell are Caretos. "Caretos" are people wearing masks and colorful costumes. They use rattles, attached around the waist, and they use them to rattle other people. In Portuguese, rattle means "chocalhar".

Every year, during Carnival, the figures of Caretos run around the streets of Podence making lots of noise and disturbing people, especially women.

Historically, Caretos were linked to the figure of the devil. The celebration represented the joy after the cold winter while embracing the arrival of Spring.

Queima do Entrudo ("burning the wicker man"), on the Shrove Tuesday, is one of the coolest events.

 
The local community has preserved the tradition for centuries, and the Careto de Podence has become a symbol of Trás-os-Montes. Due to the cultural importance for the region, the Carnival of Podence was classified as Intangible World Heritage, by UNESCO.

Do you have any plans to celebrate Carnival?